Dark Days: First Week of Advent: The Announcement

THE ANNOUNCEMENT

I. DARK DAYS
Advent (from Lat. adventus "coming" "arrival") Advent begins on the Sunday nearest November 30 and lasts until Christmas Eve. It is a celebration and remembrance of the first coming of King Jesus practiced to help us keep a proper focus during preparations for the Christmas holiday, keeping Christ in Christmas for ourselves.

Consequently, I am surprised at how much noise Christians have made over the last few years about companies, organizations, and governments taking Christ out of Christmas. Most of us will roll out of bed on Christmas day, open our presents, sit down to our new things and not open the scriptures once to share with our children why we do any of it in the first place. So, just in case we have forgotten, why do we celebrate Christmas? The story begins, like most great stories, a long time ago in a place far away under the reign of an evil king…

The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them.
Isaiah 9:2 (NASB)

There are few periods in Israel's history as dark the time during which Jesus' birth was announced. Israel was under the authority of the Roman Empire, who by then was well established as the world power. Although the Jews were granted an exceptional amount of autonomy under Rome, there remained a constant "cloud" of oppression, the simple knowledge that they were not entirely free. Being under any authority has its ups and downs, but for God's chosen people to be under the heel of a gentile nation… again…

The Jewish people had waited in hope for the coming Messiah, the one promised to free Israel, set them up in their rightful place and redeem the world… but this promised Son of David had not yet come.

It was in the midst of this darkness, that an angel appeared to a young woman, probably not much older than a sophomore in High School, engaged to be married to a good and righteous man, in a village about the size of Rockville, MO; and he brought staggering news. The most important event in human history was about to take place… THROUGH HER.

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 30 The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." 34 Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin,?" 35 The angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. 36 "And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37 "For nothing, will be impossible with God." 38 And Mary said, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
Luke 1:26-38 (NASB)